Agenda - 06-17-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. • IL, • • • 16C The News and Observer,Raleigh.N.C.,Wed.,Feb.26, 1986 .ems' Council to consider ethics code • By CONSTANCE LAIBE Meeker said in an interview, their family members from us- , Staff Writer Among the Christmas gifts ing information gained through To avert future dilemmas council members received last their position for personal or about accepting a bag of pea-, year were 3-pound bags of pea- financial gain. nuts,the Raleigh City Council is nuts from the law firm of considering an ethics ordinance Maupin Taylor Ellis & Adams. Like the code adopted by the that spells out appropriate be- Some council members said at Wake commissioners, the pro- havior for members of the the time that they should not posed ordinance states that off i- council and certain boards and accept the gifts. gals found in violation of the commissions. "I think this code of ethics standards can be censured by A draft of the ordinance was will deal with that and spell out the council. submitted Tuesday to the coun- conflicts of interest,not only for A code of ethics for public cil's Law and Finance Commit- council members but also for officials is part of state law,but tee, which will discuss it next the public," council member many municipalities are inter- month. .If adopted, Raleigh Mary C. Cates said in a tele- ested in adopting their own,said would join Charlotte and Dur- phone interview. Laura L. Kranifeld, assistant ham as the only North Carolina Mrs.Cates,who asked for the general counsel with the N.C. • cities with ethics codes. The ordinance, said she also had League of Municipalities. Wake County commissioners received a pound of homemade "I think it is a good idea • approved an ethics policy Iast fudge and two ham slices at because the state statute is a year. Christmas. None of the gifts little hard to interpret some- As proposed, the ordinance have influenced her, she said, times, and there are a lot of would prohibit city officials but "I had a few gifts that were situations that the state doesn't from accepting a gift worth given to me because I was an cover," she said. "I think it's a more than $25, require them to elected official, rather than be- real good idea to avoid even the ' disclose financial interests that cause I was a friend." appearance of impropriety." they or members of their imme- The gifts section of the policy diate families have in a matter would exclude political contri Meeker agreed that council they are considering, and re- butions, and Meeker suggested members had to avoid the sug- 1 quire them to withdraw from at the meeting that gifts ex- gestion of improper conduct. considering such matters. changed with visiting delega- "People aren't bought for "It's more like the Charlotte tions should be excluded. peanuts or the price of a meal," code than anything else," corn- The proposed ordinance also he said. "The important thing is mittee member Charles C. would prohibit city officials and the appearance of it." •